Beauty in the Breakdown
by carterfinley
Summary: Set after "Hotel Tango". His foster family gave up on him returning. He's faced with the opportunity to see his mom for the first time in years. And through all the drama, only one person can show Jackson that life has its beauty. --Mel/Jackson--
1. Worth Fighting For

**Hey, all. I know, I know, I've been gone for a while. I didn't really have any ideas for this fandom. And I know I made it seem like this story would be up a long time ago. But school got really crazy and I really didn't have time to even think about fanfiction. Now, though, school's out, and I'll have a lot more time to write. This story is going to focus, of course, on Jackson and Melissa (it's me, could you expect anything else?) and I'm not quite sure how much of the other teens you will see. I promise, though, I'll give it my all as long as I have people reading it. So here it is, after a personal hiatus, my new story. Beauty in the Breakdown.**

**Oh, and this story is dedicated to Brandi for giving me the idea for this story and just for being the awesome person that she is! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing relating to Flight 29 Down. Please don't sue.**

**Chapter 1: Worth Fighting For**

_Home. Wow. We're really going home._ That was the thought crossing each of the minds of the teenagers who sat on the plane as they soared over vast oceans. After crashing onto a deserted island, the idea that the ten of them would ever get to return to their lives in California seemed completely crazy, much like their "beloved" pilot. For twenty-eight days, they had seen no sign of life or rescue. No, that wasn't true. They had seen one boat, one godforsaken boat, but it hadn't seen them. It was rather ironic that the plane that had come to save them arrived just as their world was about to burn to the ground. Literally.

Now, they were each silently preparing themselves to see the families they thought they had lost for good and to face the hoards of reporters they all knew would be waiting at the airport, ready to attack like hungry vultures for anything that would feed their ever-growing appetites for gossip. It didn't matter who it hurt. As long as the news stations could put out a good story, they were happy, and the teens weren't totally sure they were ready to deal with that.

Jackson leaned back against his nicely cushioned seat, wondering when the pilot would give them an update on their estimated time of arrival. It couldn't be too much longer. They had been on that plane for almost eight hours, and no amount of food the three stewardesses shoved in their faces was going to change that. While regular food was nice, it wasn't like they were completely emaciated, and Jackson just wanted some space and for everyone else to just leave him alone.

But not Melissa. God, Jackson didn't think he could ever get tired of that girl. While anyone else being next to him constantly would drive Jackson mad, he was comforted by her presence. She always knew what to say, when to say it, or simply when not to speak at all. After only knowing him for three months, Jackson couldn't understand how she managed to comprehend his every feeling, his every need.

He had so many questions to think about while they were on the plane, though, and they were questions not even Melissa could know the answer to. They were about his foster family and his life there. Would they take him back? Had they already taken in another kid? Would he be uprooted again? Jackson shut his eyes. Oh God, he did not want to leave this city, these people. They meant too much to him now. More importantly, he was worried about the charges. Jail was the last place he could afford to go. The rare letters from his mom had told him enough about the hell that it was. He may be known as a hoodlum, but Jackson wanted something better than that. He wanted to do something more with his life than what so many people he knew had done.

"God, please just save me from this." It was only after he said those words that Jackson had even realized he had spoken. He didn't mean to. His words had ripped through their silence like a knife. They all stared at him, wondering what he was referring to, but seconds later, Melissa realized what he was thinking about.

"It'll be okay, Jackson," she whispered softly, setting her hand on his knee. "I'm here for you." When she gave him a sweet smile, he couldn't help but smile back. "It'll be okay."

"You don't know that."

"No, I don't," she agreed, "but sometimes I just make myself believe it. Remember what I said. I'll be here for you as long as you need me."

"I know," he replied, his voice laden with secret disbelief. There was a lot about his past she still didn't know. How was she supposed to guide him through a life her parents had purposefully sheltered her from?

"Jackson." He leaned forward at the sound of his name and found Nathan staring back at him from across the aisle. "Maybe my dad can help. He is one of the most powerful DAs in California."

"We'll see." He shrugged. Something he learned very early in life was to never get his hopes up.

Naturally, Daley chimed in, "Nathan, we don't even know if he'll need your dad's help, or anyone's help, for that matter. Everything may work out to be just fine."

_Yeah, because my life has _always_ worked out to be 'just fine'. Sometimes these people are so pathetically naïve._ He thought back to the night of the big storm. It was the night that he told Nathan, Daley, Eric, Taylor and Lex the basics of what happened to him. He had told Melissa so much more, but they learned enough to ease their worried minds that he was not as horrible as they thought. Surprisingly enough, they understood. More importantly, they accepted it. That was all he needed. After that night, Jackson learned what it meant to feel safe with a group of people. He finally felt at peace on the island, but on that plane toward home, the peace he had become accustomed to was leaking away.

_Oh well,_ he thought._ I should be used to it by now._

_**-Beauty in the Breakdown-**_

Four U.S. Marshals and a media representative greeted them in the terminal, fully prepared to brief them on what to expect when they opened the door to the rest of the airport. The antsy teens weren't in the mood to listen, however. Taylor annoyed the representative until he rushed through everything that he had to say and then knocked him over as soon as he was done. He must have understood that she just wanted to see her parents, for he didn't complain as one of the Marshals helped him up off the ground.

As soon as the door opened, cameras started flashing and filming, and nine families began crying as their sons, their daughters, their brothers, their sisters ran towards them with open arms. And then, there was Jackson. He towered back by the door, searching for the suit he had expected to be waiting for him. It may have been past ten o'clock at night, but Travis Rhodes would never miss an opportunity to harass Jackson, especially with what he had been trying to get to him about when he left.

Ah, there he was. His suit and trademark red tie stood out against the mass of reporters who all seemed to be dressed in the most comfortable clothes they owned. He decided to wait for Travis to approach him as the representative, a guy who had yet to tell them his name, spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm David Novak. I will be representing the survivors. These children have been through an unimaginable nightmare. Please, give them and their families enough respect to let them have this night in peace. We will make another statement in the morning. Now, leave, or there will be hell to pay." Jackson already kind of liked this guy. He didn't seem to take no for an answer.

Soon enough, the crowd dispersed, and the Marshals escorted them all through a hallway into a very private room. They could tell that by the sign that said 'AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY' in enormous letters. The kids sat at the table and their parents, or in Jackson's case, their social worker, stood behind them. Two of the Marshals stayed with them, and the other two led the various siblings into a room next door to wait while 'the serious conversation happened.' The kids looked around at each other nervously, wondering why they were all being held up instead of going to their homes, something they all desperately wanted to get back to.

"All right, guys. This won't take long, I promise. I just had to get you back here to talk to you about doing a press conference tomorrow," David announced.

Daniel Hagan immediately objected. "No, that's impossible. These kids need to spend time with their family, not be hounded by the media."

"While I understand your concern, Mr. Hagan, and how important it is for you all to have privacy with your kids, you have to understand that they have become America's children over the past month. We owe it to them to show them that these kids really are safe."

"We don't owe this country a damn thing!" Mrs. McGorrill screeched. "It's because of this country that my baby and his friends were stuck out there for so long!"

"Now, now, Denise," Nathan's father, Jason, stepped up to talk, "it might be a good idea to give the press a short period of time. That way, they can just get out all they need, and if they bother us after that? Well, they all know who I am. If they cause any of these kids trouble, I won't hesitate to sue them so hard their grandkids will be feeling my wrath." Jason and Tiffany McHugh and Scott and Denise McGorrill had been friends for years, even if their kids didn't get along; it was no surprise that Jason would be the first to calm Denise down. "Let's just give them…..thirty minutes."

"Yes, thirty minutes is fine," David added. "I promise, after thirty minutes, I will kick the press out, and you can all go on with your lives." The parents all began nodding their heads and agreeing to his terms.

"Hey, hold on," Daley said, "did you ever think to ask how _we_," she motioned to her friends, "might feel about doing it? All you've been doing is talking to our parents, when we're the ones who would have to talk to the press, and we're the ones who were stuck on an island for a month!"

Her father, Brian, rested his hand on her shoulder and answered her. "Oh, I'm sorry, Daley. I guess we did get caught up in the moment. Are you kids okay with this?"

"I don't know," Melissa said. "I mean, we just got home, and I've never been good in front of crowds. Part of me just want to, you know, go home and just relax and sleep and get used to being home."

"Mel, it'll be okay," Nathan replied. "You may not even have to say anything. We'll all be right there with you, anyway. It'll be okay, I promise." As he spoke, Jackson gently rubbed her leg under the table to comfort her, and while no one else noticed, a smile came across her face. They always knew how to help one another feel better.

"Okay," Melissa acquiesced.

"Great," David chimed in. "I'll set up the conference for four o'clock tomorrow afternoon in the conference room at the Marriott Hotel on South Figueroa Street. Cars will be by each of your houses at three to take to you to the hotel. Okay, go home. Relax. I apologize for the inconvenience."

Jackson and Melissa exchanged smiles, and he softly said, "Wait for me outside." She nodded and headed out with everyone else. He turned to Travis and sighed. "So what'd I miss?"

"Well, we're going to have to have a meeting in court on Monday to drop the charges against you from the…_incident_ from before you left. Two of the fools you used to hang out corroborated your statement that you had nothing to do with the stabbing, so that's no issue. But there's actually something else I need to talk to you about." Jackson cocked an eyebrow suspiciously. "When you disappeared, Sam and Kerry Parker took in another kid. They thought you were dead, and so they asked to take in another foster kid. They can only house one kid, so you can't stay with them anymore."

"Okay. We never really got along, anyway." Jackson learned to never get freaked out by the first thing Travis said. There was always more coming.

"Well, here's the thing. Los Angeles County Foster Care can't seem to find a family in the district that's willing to take you in."

"So where am I gonna go?" Now, he was getting a little worried.

"Well, one of our workers contacted a friend works for an agency in Texas, and he found a family that wants you, but that won't be ready for another week. So you'll be going to a group home till next week, and then we'll be sending you to San Antonio."

"What? And I don't get a say in this? You're just gonna ship me off to Texas, just like that. I mean, screw the fact that this kid finally has a good life; let's just rip it out from under him because he doesn't matter," Jackson snapped.

"Jackson, you're still a minor. That means you're still a ward of the government, and you know that being put in foster care means that you can be sent anywhere, anytime. This isn't new to you," Travis reminded him.

"That's not the point! It didn't bother me before because I hated living those other places, but here? I have a life here! I have friends, and they're actually the 'good people' you suits have been insisting I hang out with. I have people I care about here, and I can't give that up." For the first time, he showed emotion. He was scared; he didn't want to leave his friends, or Melissa.

"Jackson, I told you. We can't find a family in this entire county that can and will take you in. I don't know what to tell you. Unless we can find a qualified foster family before July 6th, and I doubt we will, you're going to Texas. I'm sorry. Now, excuse me. I need to go give that rep the address of where you'll be staying tonight so that he knows where to send the car tomorrow."

"I'll be outside." He knew Melissa would still be waiting for him, and he needed to feel her security just then. He stormed out of the room, not caring that the door slammed behind him, and immediately called out, "MEL!"

She came around the corner, looked at him, and knew something was wrong. "What happened? I was wondering what was taking so long in there." Without saying anything, he ran to her. Taking her up in his arms, he held her tighter against him than ever before. He pressed his face down into the crook of her neck and took in everything about her as fast as he could, full of fear that he only had seven more days to be with her. She was getting a little worried; he was suddenly clinging onto her like he was going to drown if he let go. "Jackson, **what happened**? You're scaring me."

"I'm scared, too," he whispered. He sighed and stepped back as he tried to prepare himself to tell her the news he was still trying to grasp. But first, "Were your parents okay with you waiting for me?"

"Well, they weren't too happy about me wanting to be with you, but I know you have no one else, and once I explained to them that the guy with you was actually your social worker and not your father, they understood. They left me my dad's car and said they'd meet me at home. Now what is going on? Don't change the subject again."

"Well...ugh, okay. Remember Sam and Kerry?" Melissa nodded. "Well, when we disappeared, they kind of assumed I was dead and took in another foster kid. They can only house one kid, so once they found that out, Travis said the foster care people tried to find a new home for me in case I did return, but there's no other qualified family in Los Angeles County that want me. So a worker contacted a friend in….Texas," he watched her eyes widen in shock, "and there's a home for me in San Antonio that I'll be leaving for next Saturday _unless_ they can find me a home here by then. He said that all on one breath, and he finally exhaled, nervous to hear her response.

"Oh my god," she muttered.

"Yeah, I know. I'm so sorry, Mel. Travis said the only way I'll be able to stay here is if a family changes their mind or they somehow find a previously missed family to take me in. I don't know what I'm gonna do," he sighed. Suddenly, Mel began to smile. "Mel, what's making you smile? Because I feel like I'm going to hurl right about now, so the smiling thing…yeah, it's not really making sense."

"Okay, I have to tell you something you don't know about my family, but you have to not promise to say anything to anyone until at least tomorrow. I'll let you know if it will work tomorrow at the press conference, okay?"

"All right, just tell me what's going on." He was getting a little anxious. If she was smiling after the news that he had just given her, it had to be something good.

"My family used to take in foster kids. They haven't done it in a few years, but I'm sure it couldn't be too hard to renew their license or something. The foster care agency probably just didn't think to ask my family because they knew I was missing, too. I'll have a talk with my parents tonight, as long as you're okay that I tell them your story. That way they know you really aren't a bad kid or anything. Is that okay?"

"Sure, sure, do you really think that they'll go for it?"

"I don't see why not, especially once I tell them how…important you are to me." As soon as she said that, she began to wonder if it would scare him. Instead, he smiled.

"Thank you, Mel. Just…thank you." He hugged her again. "Now, go home. You should be with your family."

She smiled, and was about to leave when another thought came to her mind. "Wait. Where are you staying?"

"Travis said they have to send me to a group home," Jackson shrugged.

"Oh no!"

"It's not that bad, really, Mel. I've been in one before, and I was a lot younger than this. I'll be fine," he assured her. "You know I can take care of myself."

Melissa sighed. She knew that once his mind was made up, he wouldn't change it. "Okay. I really should get going. I'll see you tomorrow at the press conference." She leaned up and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Night, Jackson."

"Night, Mel." She released her hold on him and started to walk away, but she had only gone a few steps before he called out, "Wait, Mel!" She stopped and turned back to look at him. He stepped up to her nervously and said, "I know we've been through a lot lately, and this may seem kind of weird considering where we are right now, but I was wondering if….I could kiss you?" He knew he had to ask. He wouldn't dare violate her trust and do something she wasn't comfortable with.

A meek smile formed on her lips, and she nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

He took two fingers and gently lifted her chin up to him, and their lips gently met. And with that connection, that touch, Jackson felt a bolt of electricity shoot through him that gave him a whole new determination.

He'd fight for this. He'd fight to stay. Because he had someone worth fighting for.


	2. Nerves

**Okay, okay, I know I'm absolutely horrible for taking this long. And I am really really sorry. Between the craziness of life and other writing projects, I didn't have the time for this. But good news! I actually took down another story that I started, and my other writing projects ended, so I will have all of my writing time for this! :) **

**Also, I am leaving next Saturday evening. I know it sucks, but that was planned way in advance. I won't be back until the 31st, either. BUT I'm planning on one more update before then. And I'll have my notebook on the really long plane rides, so I will be able to get some writing done there. (I'm flying all the way to England.) So that's good, right?**

**Just please don't hate me, and I promise I'll never take this long ever again!**

**Okay, on with the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Chapter 2: Nerves**

The next day at the press conference, the mood was tense. The teens had all dressed as nicely as they could without going over the top, but that had only made them more uncomfortable and worried about the questions they would face. Thanks to hitting a wreck on the way there, Melissa and Nathan had been the last ones to arrive, so Jackson didn't get a chance to find out the outcome of the talk with her parents before they all had to sit down.

They had answered pretty mundane questions. How did they survive? What was the tension like? Were there any major fights? Who was in charge? Even without having to discuss it, they all managed to spread out the answering, none of them hogging all of the limelight, not even Taylor. In fact, she was rather quiet. David stood at the podium throughout, picking reporters to ask their questions. Jackson watched him repeatedly check his watch, so there was no doubt in his mind that this thing would run one minute past thirty minutes.

The parents, and Travis, stood in the wings, watching nervously as their "precious babies" sat through the conference. Melissa often looked to her mother for support, and she also managed to see Taylor's dad and Eric's mom glare in frustration. It almost made her laugh.

"Okay, one last question! These kids need to get home and be with their families," David announced into the microphone. "Yes, the lady in the blue top. What's your question?"

The woman who had been called out by David stood up and poised her tape recorder out toward the stage. "Bethany Haven, _Los Angeles Times_. Something we're all dying to know is…were there any romantic relationships while you all were on the island?"

The teens looked at each other nervously, all silently trying to figure out how to best answer the question. Finally, Nathan spoke up, taking his natural position as the leader. "Well, each of us sort of found the person that we _clicked_ best with. Sure, typical teenage stuff happened, but we came to an agreement that no one could let romance getting in the way of survival."

"But does that—," Bethany started to ask.

David cut her off, "I'm sorry, Ms. Haven, that wraps up the end of this press conference. Thank you for coming out today, ladies and gentlemen. I'm David Novak, the representative for the Flight 29 Down survivors."

The group stayed posed on the stage for a minute as cameras went off, but when Eric got up and walked away, the others took notice and followed suit. Jackson waited nervously in the wings saying goodbye to his friends, and soon enough, he, Travis, Melissa, and her parents were the only ones left. The adults were standing to one side, and Melissa and Jackson were a few feet away, just far enough to be out of earshot.

"Mel, did you talk to your parents?" Jackson asked quietly.

"Yep," she nodded, "actually, they told me that we could all talk about this now, after the press conference. They haven't told me anything yet, so I'm as in the dark as you are."

"All right then, let's get this over with." Without even thinking about it, he grasped her hand before heading over to Travis and Mr. and Mrs. Wu.

As soon as they were all together, Travis turned to Jackson and said, "So, I hear there are some things we need to talk about."

"Yeah, I guess there are." He was trying to sound cool and calm, but he felt like he was acting like a scared little girl.

"Let's get to it, then." Travis led them down off the stage and to one of the tables. The room was now empty, so no one would interrupt them.

When Jackson stepped down onto the carpeted floor, the first thing he felt was Melissa's mom touch his arm. He leaned over, and she smiled knowingly. "There's no need to act so afraid, son. We don't bite. Just relax, and we'll see what we can come up with this afternoon."

"I'll try," he replied.

At the table, Travis and Jackson sat on one side of the table, and Melissa and her parents sat on the other. Melissa didn't like being so far away from Jackson during a conversation such as this, but she knew she'd just have to deal with it. Her parents hadn't been too excited when she had first told them his story, but she had soon convinced the two of them that he wasn't as bad as it sounded. Her mom, Sharon, had been the first to even somewhat side with Melissa, saying that she could see the passion in her daughter's eyes and that if Melissa truly believed that Jackson was a good person, they had no reason not to believe her. Like any typical father, Patrick said that having his teenage daughter's boyfriend living in their house was just asking for disaster. She had told them his full story, or at least everything she knew, as well as all of the things he had done to keep the group safe on the island. She had left her parents' room that night on their promise that they would think things over and come to a decision before the press conference, and Melissa could only hope and pray that what she had said and done was enough.

"Mr. and Mrs. Wu, I'm Travis Rhodes, Cody Jackson's social worker, but I'm sure you knew that already. What is it that you wanted to talk to me about this afternoon?"

Patrick spoke up first, "Well, as you well know, our daughter and Jackson became very close friends while they were gone. Melissa came to us last night very distressed, and she said that Jackson was at risk of being sent to Texas, unless a foster family was found within the next week."

"Yes, that's right," Travis agreed.

"Are you aware that my wife and I were foster parents for almost eight years, only ending four years ago?"

"No, I was not, Mr. Wu. I am not in charge of finding foster families, so they don't always tell me things of that matter," Travis explained.

"Well, that is the case, and we wanted to talk to you about the possibility of…us taking Jackson in."

"Ooh, Daddy, thank you!" Melissa squealed as she wrapped her arms around her dad's neck.

Patrick patted Melissa as a sweet smile came across his lips, but he tried to hide it. "Calm down, Melissa," he said. Jackson took notice of all of this.

"Well, I'd have to take a look at your file, and you may have to renew your license," Travis reminded them.

Sharon finally jumped in with, "That's no problem. You'll find that we never had any problems with any of the children we took in, and we'd be quite happy to renew our license."

"Very well, then. I'll see what I can do. It's rather short notice, though. Jackson is supposed to leave for San Antonio next Saturday."

"Don't you think me leaving was on short notice, too?" Jackson snapped. He couldn't help it. The idea of it still pissed him off.

Travis completely ignored him. "Anyway, Monday, Jackson and I have a meeting in the afternoon, but I'll send in notice to check out your file that morning. I'll let you know Tuesday what the outcome of that is. Just to make sure you know what you're getting yourselves into, you do know what Jackson has done, right?"

Sharon nodded and answered, "Melissa told us his story, and she also told us that the fight was not his fault. There's no reason to hold it over his head if he wasn't responsible."

He sighed. Jackson watched Travis, noting the fact that he seemed disappointed to find out Jackson might be staying in California. It didn't surprise him, though; he had always known that Travis didn't like having to deal with him. Why the man had ever become a social worker if he hated kids with rough stories was completely beyond Jackson, but he tried not to let it faze him.

"Okay, if you get cleared, then…we'll have a meeting with a Family Court judge next week. It will be that quick because things are already set in Texas, so if you really want to stop him from leaving, we'll have to get things started with you before then. Is that a problem?"

Patrick shrugged a bit and said, "It may be a conflict with my work, but if I know when to get off, I'm sure I can butter up my boss enough to get a few hours. Sharon's a teacher, so she's out for the summer."

"Okay, then, like I said, I'll get started on this Monday, and get back to you on Tuesday. Here's my card," he pulled a business card seemingly out of nowhere and handed it to Patrick, "if you have any questions, just give me a call. We've got to get going."

"Wait," Melissa told him. "If everything is cleared by the judge, will he be able to stay with us while my parents are renewing their license?"

"I don't know, miss. That matter is up to the judge and would be dealt with next week," Travis explained. She nodded in understanding. "I'm going to go get the valet to bring my car around, Jackson. I'll give you a minute to say goodbye to your…_friend_."

As soon as Travis was gone, Jackson turned back to Melissa and her parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Wu, I really can't thank you enough for this opportunity," he started off.

"Well, Jackson, we had actually been pondering over the idea of becoming foster parents again for a while now, and when Melissa came to us with this story, it all seemed to just fit. I could see how much this meant to her, too," Sharon told him.

Melissa turned a soft shade of red. "Mom," she said nervously, afraid of letting Jackson become fully aware of how important he was to her.

"Oh, come on, Mel, it was practically radiating from you when you were talking to us last night." Her eyes bulged out in embarrassment at this comment. "Oh, all right, sour puss, I'll stop."

Jackson couldn't help smiling at this, but he knew he didn't have time to stand there and talk to them much longer. "Well, I should probably get going, before Travis comes back and pitches a fit." He brought Melissa into a tight hug, and his inner happiness grew as he felt their bodies melt against one another. It just felt right. "Bye, Mel," he said softly.

When they finally let go of each other, a thought came to Melissa's mind. "Hey, do you know the address or phone number of this group home? That way, I can at least have contact with you while you're stuck there this week."

"Uh, I know the address, but I'm not sure of the phone number. Do you have some paper for me to write it down on?" he asked.

"Oh, here," Sharon said as she began digging through her purse. She soon pulled out a small notebook and pen and held the items out to Jackson. "I always carry this around."

Jackson took it from her and leaned on the table to scribble down the address. He tore out the sheet of paper and handed it to Melissa, saying, "I'm not sure if they'll let me get to a phone tonight or tomorrow, but if I can, I'll call you."

"Okay, I'll try to come by tomorrow or Monday evening and visit," she replied with a gentle smile.

"Kay." He brought her into another hug, and she leaned up to look at him. Knowing what she wanted, he gave her a quick kiss, a little nervous about displaying their affection in front of her parents. Jackson really didn't want her dad to get the impression that, if he moved in with them, he and Melissa would be reckless. "Bye."

"Bye, Jackson," Melissa called after him as he headed for the exit. He waved to her, and she turned around to face her parents again. "So, what do you think?"

"Well, I didn't get to hear much from him today, but he seems like a very respectable boy," Sharon said. "He doesn't seem at all frightening like you'd think he would be."

Melissa nodded. "He's quiet to a lot of people, but I think at the end of our little 'trip,' he really began to see that he can trust us. He's caring, and sweet, and so smart, Mom. Eric and Nathan used to think that because he was quiet, he was really slow or something, but he's really not. He's read a lot!"

"Sounds nice," she agreed.

"Well, I don't care how amazing he is to you, honey; I'm still not too keen on the idea of having you and your boyfriend in the same house. I won't have you and this boy getting too close in my own house," Patrick reminded her.

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Daddy, you know I'm not going to do anything with him. I don't even know what Jackson and I are yet."

"I trust you, Mel, but I know what it's like to be a hormonal teenage boy, and I was being one under the eyes of conservative Chinese parents. It's Jackson I don't trust, no matter how nice you say he is." He sweetly wrapped his arm around his daughter's shoulders and sighed. "But that's enough worrying about this for now. We'll wait and see what Mr. Rhodes says on Tuesday. Let's go home. Katrina and Danielle are dying to spend some more time with you."

Melissa perked up. "How about we all go out for dinner?"

_**-Beauty in the Breakdown-**_

The following Monday, Travis pulled up at the group home at 12:30, and Jackson sunk into the seat of his Toyota Camry. He was anxious about the court appearance, but he tried not to show that, because it was certain that they would all use it against him. The ride was quiet at first, but a few minutes before they got to the courthouse, Travis started in on another one of his lectures.

"Now Jackson, remember to keep your mouth shut unless the judge talks to you. The meeting is to drop the charges, and we just want to get in and get out. We don't need any delays, and if you want this to be in your favor, the judge doesn't need to listen to any whiny rants from you. Okay?"

"Since when have I ever been prone to giving 'whiny rants,' Travis?"

He shrugged, "I don't know, but the point is, you're lucky enough to be getting the charges dropped. The DA could press charges for breaking your probation, but for some bizarre reason, they decided not to. You better not mess up again, if you stay here."

"I get it, Travis. Just chill out, okay?" Jackson snapped. "Did you send in Melissa's parents' file for review?"

"Yeah, I did," he sighed. "It'll be back in the morning, and I'll call the Wus to let them know. If they're cleared, I'll get the meeting on the family court docket as soon as possible this week. I don't know how you manage it, kid. You get things to work out for you in the nick of time."

Jackson scoffed. "Oh yeah, my life's awesome. My mom's in jail, my dad's an alcoholic who left when I was six. I'm sixteen and have been in fourteen foster homes. Everything's just peachy, Travis."

"Well, you must have some luck to get Melissa's family to take you in just days before you're supposed to leave for Texas."

"That was Melissa's doing, not mine, and we still don't even know if it'll work."

"Yeah, yeah, I still can't believe you even have a chance of staying in California."

Jackson couldn't help thinking, _I know, you were so close to getting rid of me._

The two didn't say anything else because it was just then that Travis pulled into the parking lot of the courthouse. He showed the security guard outside the building his pass, and the two headed inside. The floor was marble, and the ceilings were high. The walls had wood paneling, and pictures of the judges who worked there adorned them. They walked to the very end of the hallway and ended up at a wooden door that read "Courtroom D."

Travis knocked on the door, and when a bailiff opened it, all he said was, "Travis Rhodes, one o'clock," and he let both Travis and Jackson in.

They walked up to the defendant's table and stood in front of their chairs. Soon enough, the bailiff walked up in front of the judge's stand and yelled, "All rise! The Honorable Judge Carl T. Hanson presiding. The case, docket number 43679, people versus Cody Jackson, one count of assault in the second degree."

The judge sat down and told the crowd, "You may be seated." When everyone had done so, he continued, "Let me first say that, Cody, it's good to know you and your friends are back safe and sound."

"Thank you, sir," Jackson replied meekly.

"Now, what are we here for today, Counselor Edwards?"

A young woman stood up at the prosecutor's table and straightened her skirt; Jackson could only assume that she was the new Assistant District Attorney. "Your Honor, new evidence has come about in this case. Two of the other defendants, Luke Carlson and Gregory Thomason, corroborated Mr. Jackson's statement and said that Max Jacobs was the attacker. The DNA on the knife was re-tested, and it was found that it was not that of Mr. Jackson. In light of this new evidence, we move to drop the charges against Cody Jackson."

"Very well," said the judge. "Is there anything you would like to say, Cody?"

"I'm very grateful that this has been resolved," Jackson explained.

"All right then, the charge of assault in the second degree against Cody Jackson is hereby dropped, for the sake of justice. Mr. Jackson, you are now released back to the state and into the foster care system. Case is dismissed." Once he hit the gavel down, Counselor Edwards nodded, closed her briefcase, and headed for the exit. As she did so, Judge Hanson turned toward Travis and asked, "How are things working out for him, Mr. Rhodes?"

"Well, Your Honor, when he first arrived back here in California, we did not have a foster home for him, but on Saturday, it came to my attention that there was a family willing to take him in, who used to be a registered foster care family. The file for Patrick and Sharon Wu is currently being reviewed for clearance, and if that is the case, we'll have a meeting with a Family Court judge later this week," Travis explained.

"Yes, Mr. Rhodes, I'm aware of how it works." Travis blushed in embarrassment. "I've met with Mr. and Mrs. Wu before. They're very good parents; they just haven't had the most luck with getting good foster children. You would be very lucky to stay with them."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

"I just hope you understand, young man, that if you get in trouble again, we will be forced to relocate you."

"Yes, sir."

"All right, then, I'd say we're done here. Son, I hope everything works out for you."

"Thank you, sir." Judge Hanson nodded before getting up and walking out the exit behind his seat. Jackson turned to Travis and asked, "What now?"

"Nothing. I'm going to take you back to the group home, and I'll notify you tomorrow if the Wus are cleared and, if so, when our meeting with the Family Court judge is."

Jackson shrugged, and they headed for the car. The ride back was silent. When Jackson walked back into the children's home where he was staying, one of the middle-aged women who ran the place got his attention. "Jackson!" her cheery voice called out from behind the front desk.

"Yeah?"

"A girl stopped by about fifteen minutes ago looking for you. I told her you were out with your social worker. She asked for you to call her so that she knew when she could come back. Her name is," she paused to pick up the paper, "Melissa Wu. She said you knew the phone number."

"Yep, thanks Miss Susan."

"No problem. The phone right down the hall is free." She pointed to her right.

"All right, thanks." He headed for the phone and quickly dialed Melissa's cell phone number.

"Hello?" her soft voice said.

"Hey Mel, it's me."

"Oh hey, I take it you got the message I left."

"Yep, I just got it. Are you all the way back home yet?"

"Nope, I stopped at Dairy Queen to get a treat. So I'm only about two miles away."

"Okay, uh, can you come back?"

"Sure!" She would never pass up an opportunity to spend time with him.

Jackson smirked. "Can you bring me something?" he asked sweetly.

"Sure," Melissa laughed. "What would you like?"

"Just a medium chocolate dipped in chocolate cone. Thanks."

"No problem, Jackson. I'll be there soon."

He hung up the phone and headed back out to the main lobby. "Hey, do you mind if I wait here for my friend?"

Susan shrugged, "Not at all, you're allowed anywhere in this house, except for the offices, of course."

Jackson nodded and sat down in one of the comfy lounge chairs. Leaning his head back against the wall, he felt like smiling for the first time that day. Something about Melissa just did that to him. Knowing that she was around to comfort him made everything just slightly better.

Now if only he knew whether or not he'd be around to enjoy it.


	3. Always and Forever

**You don't have to tell me how horrible I am. I know I'm absolutely horrible, and I'm really really sorry. I could apologize from here to the moon, or I could explain myself. Okay, first, the whole writing during my trip in July did NOT work whatsoever, then I was really sick for the first three weeks in August, and then I had to get ready for school. All of this summed up in two words: NO TIME. **

**So instead of trying to hold myself to deadlines, I'm just going to say this. I will try to write quickly, but I really am updating as quickly as I can. Please don't hate me. Now that school is back in session, I THINK I'll have less time to get distracted, but it's my senior year, so that obviously has to priority. I really am trying, and if you forgive me, I'll be the happiest girl in the world. :) Now, READ ON!**

**This chapter: determining the fate of Jackson, good old fun, Mel/Jackson fluff, and a heart-to-heart.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. End of story.**

**Chapter 3: Always and Forever**

"Jackson. Jackson, wake up." Susan called softly as she tried to get him up the next morning.

"Huh?" He rolled over, not completely sure of what was going on.

"Mr. Rhodes is on the phone. He says it's really important," she explained as she held out the cordless from the hallway.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he took the phone, and she left the room. "Hello?" he muttered, trying his best not to wake up his roommates.

"Get up and get ready right now." Travis sounded frantic. It was weird.

"What?"

"You heard me. Get up right now. The Wus have been cleared and we've got to be down at the courthouse in an hour. Judge Bryant is fitting us into his schedule. He says this is the only open space on his docket for the rest of the week. So get your butt out of bed, boy. I'll be by in thirty minutes. Eat, too, because we don't have time to stop for something."

"All right, Travis, just chill out. Bye."

"Bye. You better not—." Jackson didn't even wait to hear what his next bitchy comment was going to be; he just went ahead and hit the END button. He rolled his eyes and stumbled towards his small dresser, picking out a semi-nice outfit before heading towards the bathroom to get a quick shower.

He let the hot water beat into his tense muscles, releasing all of the anxiety that he felt in preparation for the coming meeting. Jackson wanted _so badly_ to be able to stay in Los Angeles. For the first time in his life, he felt safe, and even though he had made the mistake of going back to his old neighborhood, he couldn't imagine leaving the people who had helped him stay alive, literally. When he had to learn how to work and survive with people, he got a whole new appreciation for the human race. Before the crash, he couldn't trust anyone because everyone he had ever known had let him down, but Melissa, Lex, Nathan, Taylor, and even Eric had changed him, and he was not about to let that go.

When Travis pulled up to the driveway in front of the house, Jackson said goodbye to Susan before heading out. He had not been able to eat anything, mostly out of fear that he'd get sick from nerves. As far as he could remember, the last time he had been this nervous was when he was getting taken away from his mom.

"Good, you're ready."

"What? You didn't think I could pay attention to what you were saying?" Jackson snapped.

"I didn't say that," Travis replied.

"I know how important this is, Travis. I wasn't about to screw this up, so just drive. There's nothing you can say to me right now that I don't already know." With that said, Travis put the car in drive, and they were off. It was another completely silent ride.

One ability Jackson had that he was thankful was that he could basically zone out when he needed, to give himself an opportunity to escape everything that was stressing him. He did this on the way to the courthouse, and before he knew it, the car had stopped, and he was about to walk into one of the most important appearances of his life.

The enormous walls were even more domineering than usual, the tile floors even more chilling. It was a rare occasion that someone could make Jackson fearful, but this was one of those times, and he didn't like it one bit. He took deep, silent breaths as he entered the room, where Judge Bryant was waiting patiently for him and Travis. At the next table were Mrs. Wu and who Jackson could only assume was her lawyer.

"All right, let's get started," the judge announced, flipping open a folder in front of him. "We don't have much time. Let's see, Mr. and Mrs. Wu are here, I assume."

The lawyer at the next table stood up and said, "Your Honor, I am the attorney for the Wus, and Mr. Wu could not be here this morning, but this is Mrs. Wu. She and I will take care of everything together."

"Very well, then," Judge Bryant replied, as he turned to Travis and Jackson. "Cody Jackson, is there anything you'd like to say?"

Jackson cleared his throat before he tried to speak, but then he managed to get out, "No, sir, thank you."

"Okay, well, I see that the Wu family has an absolutely impeccable record as a foster family in the state of California. I also see a note here that the oldest daughter was one of the crash victims with Cody Jackson, is that correct?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Mrs. Wu replied. "My daughter, Melissa, was with Jackson on the trip. She was actually the one who suggested that we take him in."

Judge Bryant nodded and went on, "Now, you do understand that you and your husband will have to take care of the necessary work over the next six weeks to get your license renewed, right? Afterwards, Mr. Rhodes will make random visits to check in, just as procedure to make sure that everything is going smoothly in your home."

"I understand, Your Honor."

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Jackson's head, and he realized that there actually was something that he needed to ask about. "Excuse me, Your Honor," he said as he stood up.

"Jackson, hush and sit down," Travis scolded as he tried to pull Jackson back into his seat.

"Now, Mr. Rhodes, let the boy speak. After all, this is about his future. Yes, Cody?"

"I have a question. While Mr. and Mrs. Wu are getting their licensed renewed, would it be at all possible for me to stay with them? My junior year at Hartwell starts on August 13th, and the group home I'm currently at is so far away from the school, it'd be nearly impossible for me to get there and back every day." He held his breath as he watched the judge nervously.

Judge Bryant got a very curious look on his face as he pondered over Jackson's request. "Yes, son, I think that could work. You're just lucky that you've found such a respectable family who wants to help you. You have to understand, Cody, that if you get in trouble one more time, the courts will be forced to relocate you. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Your Honor, thank you so much." Jackson felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. It was as if he could breathe for the first time that day. He wasn't going to be forced to leave. He could be with Melissa. He was going to be _living_ with Melissa. Things couldn't be better.

If only he knew…

_**-Beauty in the Breakdown-**_

The next few days had been pretty chill for Jackson. Melissa and her family had welcomed him quite easily into their home. He was honestly a bit surprised to see that it wasn't some gigantic, overbearing mansion; it was just in an average house in an average neighborhood. He was staying in what used to be their guest room, but thankfully, the bathroom Melissa and her sisters shared was big enough to take on one more.

The walls were painted a soft yellow, so it was nothing too girly, not that he would have cared. He had a warm double bed that was more inviting than any place he had slept in years. The items he had brought with him had barely taken up any space in the large armoire in the room, but Sharon had promised him she'd take him clothes shopping soon. Jackson felt a little bad asking for her to buy him things so soon after moving in, but he was sincerely hoping that he'd be there for a while, and anyone could tell that the bare necessities he had were not going to last.

On the Saturday after he moved into the Wu home, ironically also the day he would have been leaving for Texas, he was woken up to a knock on the door. When he opened it up, he saw Melissa's youngest sister, Danielle, who had turned nine while the kids were still on the island, standing there meekly.

"Jackson, Mom and Dad went out for the morning, but Kat, Mel and I are setting up the slip-n-slide in the backyard if you want to come and join us."

Her voice was soft, almost like she was afraid of him. Jackson knew that he had to change that fact, so he knelt down to her level. "Hey, Dani?" She raised an eyebrow to let him know she was listening. "You don't have to be so scared of me. I promise I don't bite……much, anyway." She giggled, and he smiled back at her. "Now, go and tell Mel that I'll be out in a few minutes."

"'Kay, Jacks!" she hollered as she ran off. Jackson rolled his eyes and shut the door; Danielle had told him the day he got there that his name was now Jacks, and he was just going to have to deal with it. Melissa had later informed him that Danielle was not a girl to be argued with.

Once he had changed into swim trunks and grabbed a piece of bread from the kitchen, Jackson headed into the backyard, only to find Melissa's other sister, thirteen-year-old Katrina, already sliding across the lawn. Melissa was busy cheering along for her, so she hadn't seen Jackson go outside, so he decided to scare her a little bit. He snuck up behind her quietly, and when Danielle saw him, he held a finger to his lips, and she nodded her head in agreement. Out of the blue, he pinched Melissa's bare sides.

"HEY!" she squealed as she jumped forward. Turning around, she saw Jackson red in the face from laughing. "Jackson, that was so…not cool." She tried to look mad, but she couldn't help but smirk and try to hold her laugh in. "I'll get you back for that."

"Oh, yeah, what are you gonna do?" He watched suspiciously as she headed to the end of the slip-n-slide lane, and proceeded to point one of the hoses straight at him.

"Oh, it's on!" he shouted as he chased after her. Melissa ran him in circles around the backyard as Katrina and Danielle yelled in her support, but soon enough, Jackson caught up with her and grabbed her. He spun her around, and they fell to the ground, Jackson landing on top.

As they caught their breath from the excitement, their eyes locked. Jackson gazed into her deep brown eyes as he felt her watching him, and he knew exactly why he needed her around. Just by looking at him, she could tell everything he was feeling, everything he needed. Her touch sent electric shocks through his body, and as much as it frightened him, it was the best feeling in the world. He just wished he had it in him to put all his feelings into words.

So he did the one thing he knew would make them both feel good. He brushed her soft, black hair back from her face, and he kissed her. Just as Melissa brought her hand up and ran her fingers through his hair, they heard someone clear their throat.

"Excuse me! Kids are around, ya know."

_**-Beauty in the Breakdown-**_

A few hours later, after the four of them had all gotten showers and cleaned up, Melissa served lunch. Her mom had left spaghetti in the fridge, so all Melissa had to do was heat the food up. Once they were done, Katrina had gone upstairs to play her violin, and Danielle had gone down the road to play soccer with her best friend, Clara. The other two cleared up the food, and then headed into the living room on Melissa's suggestion to watch a movie.

They both curled up on the couch, but instead of grabbing the remote, Melissa bit her lip and looked at Jackson nervously. "What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing, it's just…I don't know. I'm still getting used to the fact that I'm now living with you twenty-four hours a day."

"Mel, on the island, you lived with me twenty-four hours a day."

She sighed, knowing how stupid it sounded. "I know that," she replied, "but here? It's something totally different. You know as well as I do that the island was nothing even close to reality. We were completely different people. Back here in Los Angeles, we're in reality. We have to go to school, go out to places where everyone knows what happened to us. And honestly…I don't think I could face this without you. I mean, I don't want to sound totally creepy or anything, but knowing you're always going to be here…it's a whole new level of security."

"Mel," Jackson said softly as he brought his arm around her and kissed the top of her head, "you have no idea how much hearing that meant to me. I'm so glad I'm staying here, too. You've been my best friend from day one, and there isn't a thing in the world that could change that."

"Are you nervous? Did they tell you anything else is going to happen?"

"No, they just said the charges were dropped, and I have to stay out of trouble or they'll relocate me."

Melissa smirked. "And you are going to stay out of trouble, right?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Of course," he told her, rolling his eyes. "Trust me. This is the best place I've been in my entire life. Why on earth would I screw that up?"

"I know. I was just kidding." She paused but soon went on to ask one more thing. "I hope you don't mind me questioning about this, Jackson, I just really want to know you."

"Okay." Now he was a bit nervous. "Ask away." If there was anyone that Jackson could open up to, it would be Melissa, so he might as well take that risk.

"What happened to your parents?" He suddenly brought his arm back from around her and stared at the ground, making Melissa very worried. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. You don't have to tell me."

"No, _I'm_ sorry," he said, shaking his head. "You know that I trust you more than anyone, and I really do care about you and want to be open with you. It's just not something I have an easy time of talking about." She nodded in understanding. "But I promise, I'll tell you in time. That's just all I need. Time."

"That's one thing I can give you," she replied with a soft smile. "I meant what I said before we left the island, Jackson. When you're ready to talk about your past, I'll be here. I'll be here for you, always and forever."

**I love you, guys! Thanks to all who have reviewed thus far. Review again, please! Happy Labor Day!**


	4. Mommy Dearest

**Man oh man oh man. Words cannot express how much I hate myself for leaving this for so long. But let's see. I've had two injuries, back and foot, two illnesses, and frankly senior year is hard. I don't have enough time to do all that I have to do in a day, so sometimes you just have to put something on hold, and for me, Fanfiction was it. **

**Okay, enough apologizing. This chapter is the prelude to the start of all the drama in this story. So it's really important.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Really, my bank account has like four dollars in it.**

**Chapter 4: Mommy Dearest**

The next few days were what Jackson might call relatively easy. Of course, he had a daily phone call with Travis, but that was something he expected. It had always been that way when he moved into a new foster home. But Melissa's family had accepted him, and more importantly, they had all quickly learned not to push him about where he was from. Maybe Melissa had coached them, he didn't know; he was just appreciative of the fact that he was getting some peace. It wasn't like he didn't already have enough to think about.

There were dreams. She was haunting him again, and something in his gut told Jackson that it was for a reason. He hadn't seen his mother in six years, not since the cops took him away. He never found out who had saved him, either, because no one was supposed to know. He sure as hell hadn't told anyone. Jackson had seen too many times what happened in his childhood world when you ran your mouth, and it had scared him into silence. He put up with what he got because he had never known any way out until the men in the black suits came and saved him.

And now, even at sixteen, he knew that the police weren't all bad. It was partially his fault that he had been put in Juvie. They had given him a chance at a new life, away from Heather Snyder, and he hadn't taken it. He had stuck with the crew that he had known since childhood because they were his only form of safety; he wouldn't be attacked as long as they were around. His mother had done enough attacking him, physically and emotionally, for him to know that he could never be alone in his old Los Angeles neighborhood.

But she was still his mother, and he was always going to think about her. The part of him still swallowed in naiveté wanted to believe that she had changed, that she had finally accepted the fact that she was mostly responsible for the hell Jackson's life had been. Maybe she would even feel remorse, something he could tell was never in her heart as she watched her ten-year-old son be dragged up to testify all the torture he had been through. Jackson hoped and prayed every day that when she got out of jail, he could find her and maybe they could have a semblance of a normal mother-and-son relationship.

And then, there was the other part of him, the sensible side that knew the dangers of the hell he would face if she ever did get out of jail. It was the part of him that still saw the venom in her crystal blue eyes, as she yelled out what a liar he was in open court. He could still smell the smoke on her breath as she hissed. _He's a liar,_ she'd tell the jury. _I never hurt him, and neither did Mitch. He's a clumsy boy; he always hurts himself. Ask anyone. He's so unappreciative. I gave up my entire life for that rat, and this is how he repays me!_

Needless to say, he was trying to keep his mind off of it, no matter how badly it was freaking him out. Melissa was there by his side, and the last thing he wanted to do was scare her. She was so stressed out and worried about him as it was, and if she knew what was going on in his head, Jackson knew she would only get worse. So he put on a brave face and made it seem like everything was just fine.

A few days later, Patrick was at work, as usual, and Sharon had taken Katrina and Danielle shopping for parties they had to go to, so Melissa and Jackson had the day free to themselves. They had spent the morning just relaxing, before deciding to go a few blocks over to a pizzeria for lunch. Just as they walked into the shop, Melissa noticed a familiar face in the corner.

"Nathan!" She instantly headed over to where her longtime friend was sitting and grabbed a seat. Jackson stood behind her nervously, not sure of what he should do. This was the first time he had seen any of the other islanders since they got back to Los Angeles, and the state of their relationship was a little unclear.

"Jackson, what are you just standing there for? Come on, sit!" Nathan told him with a smile. He sighed in relief and sat down next to his girlfriend. "How weird is it that we all thought to come here today? It's especially nice since no one is even noticing that 'the big stars' are in the room."

"I know!" Melissa laughed. "I can't believe I didn't even think to call you or Eric or Daley. We haven't spent any time together since we got back, and we really should."

"Well, apparently, Daley's already trapped herself up with work and volunteering and stuff. Eric's all busy spending time with Taylor at her house. Taylor's mom won't let her out of her sight long enough for her to go anywhere. And I thought my parents were nuts." An involuntary groan escaped Jackson's lips.

Melissa turned to him and asked, "Something wrong Jackson?"

He shook himself out of his daze and muttered, "Mm, no, sorry, just thinking about stuff."

"Oh, okay," she replied, still with that curious and confused look on her face.

"Oh, Jackson, have the court and foster care issues worked out, or have they got you on hold, or what?" Nathan questioned.

Jackson knew he was just trying to be friendly, so it's not like he could ignore him, despite how badly he didn't want to talk about. He sighed and said, "Well, the judge, he, uh, dropped the charges against me. They said I can stay with Mel's parents while they renew their foster care license as long as I stay out of trouble. They really just warned me that if I get in trouble with cops again, they'll send me to Texas."

"Oh, man," Nathan winced, "we definitely don't want that to happen, but at least they're being fair now, right? I mean, since you never really did anything to start with."

"Yeah."

Just then, a waitress in her mid-30s and a tight red shirt and black skirt walked up to their table. She was still scribbling away on her notepad as she rambled off, "Hi, welcome to Luigi's Pizzeria. My name's Alexia; I'll be your server." Then, she looked up and gasped. "Oh, my gosh! You're some of the kids from the plane crash! You're the 29 Down Survivors!"

Before the three teens knew what had happened, they were surrounded by camera flashes and arms shoving notepads in their faces. Jackson waited about twenty seconds before standing up and going into protective mode. "HEY!" he bellowed. "Back off! Yes, we are three of the 29 Down Survivors, but we're just here to eat some lunch. We're not some godforsaken celebrities, so leave us alone!" It was times like this that Jackson understood why strangers found him so intimidating because the crowd soon broke up and he was able to sit back down. Glaring up at his waitress, he snapped, "Thanks, Alexia. I really appreciate that."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have screamed it like that. If you want I can see if my manager will let you into our party room. It's free all day today, and that way no one else who comes in here can bother you."

"That'd be great, Alexia," Melissa said with a smile.

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Melissa waited until she was out of earshot before she turned to Jackson. "Jack-_son_. You didn't need to snap at her like that."

"Oh, no, Mel, she's just the only reason every person in this room is still staring at us." He pointed out at the room, and Melissa turned only to see that each table of people was trying to sneak glances at them, whispering like they were in the same room as part of the _High School Musical_ cast. "If she hadn't shrieked like that, we might have actually been able to have a normal meal."

"Come on, Jackson, relax. She apologized, and she's trying to go get us a private room. We are pretty much celebrities to this city; we're going to be getting weird looks for a while," Nathan said.

Before he could say anything else, Alexia walked up so quietly like she was stepping on eggshells. "My boss said it'd be fine if the three of you wanted to eat in our private room. If you'll just follow me, I'll take you back there."

When they got back to their new room, Jackson and Nathan immediately went to go sit down, but Melissa stopped the young waitress. "Alexia, please forgive Jackson. He's not normally that mean; all this attention just tends to stress him out."

"It's fine. I understand, and I really am sorry for ruining everything out there." The two girls headed over to the table where the boys had sat, and Melissa took a seat as Alexia asked, "What would you all like to order."

"Is it Coke or Pepsi?" Nathan asked.

"Coke," she replied.

"Okay, then, I'll have a Dr. Pepper."

"I'll have a Coke," Melissa added.

"Coke," Jackson said.

"Do you know what you want to eat, or do you want me to go get your drinks and give you a few minutes?"

They looked around at each other, and as if he were reading the others' minds, Jackson told the waitress, "We need a few minutes, but can you go ahead and put in a large order of your breadsticks when you get the drinks?"

"Sure," she replied with a smile, writing down the appetizer as she turned to leave the room.

As Alexia shut the door to their room, Melissa reached over and grabbed Jackson's hand. She grazed her soft fingertips over his calloused hand and asked, "See, isn't this nice? It's quiet back here."

"Yeah, it is, but it's not like we can live the rest of our lives getting special treatment. What are we going to do when school starts back? It's going to be this kind of hell all day, every day."

"You don't know that. What is your attitude today, Jackson?"

He sighed and leaned his head back against the booth. "I don't know. I'm just stressed out. I'm sorry, okay?"

She leaned into his side and wrapped her arm across his stomach. "It's okay. Everyone has off days."

Jackson put his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks, babe."

"Aw, well, isn't that just adorable?" Nathan teased.

"Oh, shut up!" Melissa laughed. She flicked a packet of sugar across the table at him.

"Hey, I didn't know that this afternoon was going to turn into an afternoon of 'Nathan gets to watch Melissa and Jackson be all lovey-dovey and feel bad because he has no girlfriend.' Besides, it's my right as your friend to tell you when you look so sickeningly cute."

Jackson couldn't help rolling his eyes and retorting, "Yeah, this is coming from the guy who spent three-quarters of our time on the island making goo-goo-eyes at Daley when he thought no one was looking."

"Hey!"

_**-Beauty in the Breakdown-**_

That afternoon, Jackson sat on his bed strumming away on his guitar. He wasn't really trying to play anything in particular; he was just trying to let the gentle melodies his fingers produced release him from the stress and pressure pulsating through every one of his nerves. As he played, he shut his eyes and let the soft tune wash over him like water. Suddenly, there was a tap on the door. He sighed. The atmosphere was broken so there was no use in ignoring whoever was there.

"Come in," he said softly.

The oak door creaked open, and a timid face soon appeared. "Hey, I hadn't heard you come out of your room in a while, so I was just coming to see what's up," Melissa explained. "You've been all quiet since we got back from lunch."

A grunt escaped Jackson's lips as he set his instrument on the bed behind him. When he turned back around, Melissa had already found her way to the spot beside him. He simply sat there, and she spoke up a second later. Jackson knew she wouldn't be able to stand the silence.

"What is wrong, Jackson?" was all she said, but it wasn't really a question. It sounded like an all-knowing statement, like she was just waiting from him to spill his guts so she could remind him that she was there for him and that she knew how he felt. Except, she didn't. She had absolutely no idea.

"Nothing is wrong. I'm fine," he told her in hopes of avoiding the problems he was sure were going to follow.

She rolled her eyes and replied, "No, you're not. I know that look in your eyes."

"What look?" he asked her stubbornly.

"Jackson!"

"WHAT, Mel? Every time I get a look in my eyes, you can't just go and assume something is wrong. You know me; you know what I'm like. I'm a quiet person. Why is that some problem all of a sudden?"

"I never said it was a problem, Jackson! I'm just trying to be a good friend, to be there for you, something you said you liked about me on the island!" she snapped right back. Jackson could see the anger and frustration in her eyes, and it hurt him to see her that way, but he was trying to make a point to her.

"Yeah, but I also told you _here_ that I need time, Mel. I need to get used to being stable for the first time in my life. I've still got crap going on with Travis, and so I'm stressed out and I'm worried. You have no clue how different this is for me."

Melissa took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down, and she looked at him earnestly. "You're right," she agreed. "I don't know what this is like for you, but I'm _trying_. I'm trying to show you that this time really is different. I'm trying to show you that I'm not going to be just another person who pretends to care and then walks out on you. So why can't you meet me halfway or something? I can't be your best friend, let alone your girlfriend, if you don't let me in." She laid her hand on top of his, and he could tell that the screaming was over.

"I'll work on it, okay?" Melissa nodded. "In the meantime, if it's obvious that I don't want to talk about something, can you not press me about it?"

She replied, "Okay, I'm sorry."

"Me too."

The two simply sat together in the silence for a few minutes. Melissa was relishing in just being with him, but Jackson was having yet another internal battle. He wanted to be open and honest with her. He really did. She deserved that much. But if what was on his mind could make grown men on a jury cry, how would sweet Melissa react. Then, he remembered how she was on the island when he told her about the stabbing, and he knew what he should do.

"It's…my mom," he finally muttered.

Melissa perked up, surprised that he had spoken. "Huh?"

"My mom," he repeated. "That's what is bugging me. I keep having these dreams about…things from years ago that were…really bad. I just have this gut feeling that something with her is gonna happen."

"Oh my gosh, Jackson," Melissa whispered as she leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I know it seems stupid to get so freaked out over a 'feeling,' but with the dreams on top of it, it's just…a lot," he explained as he held on to her.

"Of course, it is."

"So yeah, that's basically what's wrong with me. I'm sorry for being such a jerk," he reassured her.

She nodded to let him know it was okay. "Don't worry about it. Everyone gets stressed out. Just remember that I'm here whenever you need me. I'm not going anywhere."

"Thanks, Mel. I mean it; I _don't know_ how I'd do this without you."

_**-Beauty in the Breakdown-**_

"And oh my gosh, Mom, Molly Jenkins told me that Ben Grant totally likes me. Apparently, he's been talking to her about me all the time, and he wants to hang out with me, like at the pool or something. Isn't that totally awesome? She said she told him that I wasn't allowed to go on real dates---"

"Of course not, Katrina, you're thirteen for crying out loud!" Patrick fussed as his middle daughter rambled off her latest story at the dinner table.

"I know that, Dad, but if a bunch of us were all just hanging out at the pool, it wouldn't _technically_ be a date," Katrina replied.

"Yeah, but Kat, it's with boys. I wasn't allowed to go 'hang out' with guys when I was thirteen. Why can't you be more like me?" Melissa teased.

"This is coming from the girl who's currently living with her boyfriend." The younger Wu sister cocked her eyebrow and laughed.

"Now, Katrina, don't bring Jackson into this," Sharon reprimanded. "Bringing him into our home was your father's and my decision."

Jackson sat quietly eating his chicken alfredo, not wanting to get in the middle of a family argument. Then, their house phone rang, and Jackson set his fork down, almost expecting to have to get up and answer it. When no one else moved and the phone still rang, he asked nervously, "Uh, you want me to get that?"

"Jackson, it's a family rule that we don't answer the phone or have the television on when we eat dinner," Sharon explained to him. "We'll let the machine get it."

He nodded, and a few seconds later, the answering machine beeped, and a familiar voice began to echo throughout the kitchen.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Wu, this is Travis Rhodes, Cody Jackson's social worker. I'm calling to let you know that there is a meeting that the psychologist on his case thinks would be good for him. We have decided to let Jackson see his mother at the prison where she is being held. Please take him down to the California State Women's Correctional Facility tomorrow afternoon at three p.m. It is on record with the visitation coordinator that he will be showing up. If you have any questions, feel free to give me a call. Jackson has the number. Thank you. Bye."

Two forks simultaneously to their plates as Jackson covered his face with his hands and Melissa turned to comfort him. "Jackson, it's going to be okay. I'll go with you. It'll be okay," she whispered softly to him.

He wanted to believe her so badly. It would make his mind so much better if he could just believe that it would be okay. But he had been dreading this phone call for years and no sweet words from the girl he cared for so deeply would change the fact that he was going to be facing his worst nightmare in less than twenty-four hours.

And frankly, it was already scaring the hell out of him.

* * *

**As a Halloween present, will you review? Please? HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**


	5. Running

**Well, at least this wait was shorter, eh? Be aware; this is an _incredibly_ important chapter! It was surprisingly hard for me to write, too. It was like every time I tried to go and work on it, the words just wouldn't come. I wasn't going to force myself, either, because I want you AMAZING readers/reviewers/favoriters to have good quality work. I hope I make you proud. :)**

**Please continue to be amazing and review! **

**Disclaimer: Yeah, no. Just no.**

**Chapter 5: Running**

"Nathan, is it like…completely weird that I'm scared about going tomorrow?" Melissa was lying on her bed with her phone in hand, talking to Nathan about the prospect of going to the prison the next day to see Jackson's mom. Part of her felt like there was no way it could be anything but bad, and part of her was trying to have hope that maybe this woman wasn't so horrible after all. And then, she would remind herself that she was in prison; there had to be something wrong with her. It was one gigantic internal battle.

"Of course, it isn't, Mel. It's a _prison_, and you're meeting your _boyfriend's mother_. Now, I don't know how it is for girls, but for me, it was absolutely horrible whenever I've met the parents of the girl I'm dating," he replied.

She sighed and said, "Thanks a lot. This definitely did not help me feel better! She'll probably hate me. Oh my god, why did I tell Jackson that I would go tomorrow? It's going to be disastrous! I just know it!"

"Whoa, Mel!" Nathan practically shouted into the phone. "First off, you don't know that she'll hate you. Secondly, you told Jackson you would go with him because you said you could see the fear in his face and you wanted to try and help him. That's just the kind of person you are. You help people; you're nice and caring. If you're nice and polite and friendly with this woman, I'm sure she won't _hate _you."

Melissa took a deep breath to try to relax her nerves and let go of some of the pressure that felt like it was going to knock her out at any second. "You're right. I just have to stay calm, but I guess it's just---." Her words were cut off by the sound of a loud thud in the adjacent room. "Hey, Nathan, hold on a second."

"Sure."

She got up off her bed and quietly tip-toed to the next room. "Jackson?" she called out nervously as she began to open the door. The light was still on in his room, so she knew that he was still awake.

"What is it, Mel?" Jackson asked, pulling himself to a sitting position as she walked into the room.

"I heard a loud noise, and I wanted to make sure everything was okay." Jackson just sighed and rolled his eyes, but Melissa could tell it was in frustration, not at her. "I'll be right back." She ran back into her room and picked up the waiting telephone. "Nathan?"

"Yeah?"

"I gotta go. I think Jackson really needs me right now."

"Uh, sure, that's fine. I'll talk to you later."

When she got back into Jackson's room, she instantly went over and sat on the edge of the bed beside him. She looked at him patiently, waiting to see if he would open up on his own. Soon realizing that the boy would take some prodding, she gently asked, "What's wrong Jackson?" He stared at her like she had two heads. "Ah, it's tomorrow."

"Yeah," he replied.

She gently laid a hand on his arm, trying to show a fraction of how much she cared. "I know it's scary, Jackson, but I'm going, too. I won't leave you for a second."

"No offense, Mel, but that's not the issue here."

"So tell me what is."

He softly groaned and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. "It's the fact that I haven't seen this woman since I was ten. It's the fact that when I last saw her, we didn't exactly leave on the best of terms. It's the fact that I have no idea how she's going to act. It's that the last time she looked at me, she hated me. It's everything that happened before I got taken away from her. It's that damn boyfriend of hers that she had when I left. It's…," he sighed, "just everything."

Melissa gently ran a hand up and down his back in an attempt to soothe him. It absolutely killed her to see him like this. She took a moment, not sure of how to respond to something like this, but then said, "Jackson, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what?" he asked. An air of confusion laced his voice as he looked at her.

"I'm sorry that you've been through all this and that I can't make it better," she explained.

"That's not your fault, Mel. I've been dealing with stuff like this for as long as I can remember," he reminded her.

She nodded and said, "I know, but it's still not fair."

"Yeah, but life isn't always fair. In fact, mine rarely is. I'm just sorry that I constantly pour stuff on you."

Melissa smiled a bit. "That's what I'm here for, Jackson. I told you I would be here for you, and I meant it. It's going to take a lot more than this to get me to leave." Then, Jackson leaned up and hugged her from the side, and the two of them fell back onto the bed, facing each other. He crashed his lips upon hers, full of passion, and by the time he pulled back, Melissa's face was red, and she was nearly out of breath. "Wow. What was that for? I mean, not that I didn't enjoy it, because I did, but…wow."

He chuckled at her shock and replied, "That was for being the one person who has never given up on me. That was for being the one person I can trust and know I won't get left behind. That was for being so kind to me all of the time. It sounds completely cliché, I know, but I have no idea how I finally got so lucky to have a person like you in my life." Melissa broke out in a huge but genuine grin. "Hey, don't make fun. It's not easy for me to say stuff like that."

"No, no, no, Jackson, that's not it at all! It's that may have been the nicest thing someone has ever said to me. Just so you know, I know it seems like I do so much for you, but you have no idea how wonderful it feels to have you around. You're an amazing person, and I don't want you to ever forget that," she said. Jackson nodded and kissed her again, this time a soft peck. "Wow, I'm tired. I should probably get to bed. Are you gonna be okay?" she questioned as she sat up.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, but…would you mind just laying here for a while?" he asked nervously. "I like just being near you.

"Sure, but before you fall asleep, you have to move me to my bed. My dad would **kill** me if he found us in bed together," she told him.

"Of course, I will."

So Melissa lay back down, and they found their natural fit, her body hugging his. As she drifted off to sleep, Jackson laid a soft kiss on her forehead.

_**-Beauty in the Breakdown-**_

The next day, arriving at the prison was completely nerve-wracking. The rooms were dark and cold. It freaked Melissa out, but she tried to keep a cool face. Travis had met them at the station to give them a brief explanation. Jackson had barely said two words all day.

Melissa squeezed Jackson's hand a little bit to remind him that she was still right next to him. She could practically hear his heart beating through his chest, and the closer they got to the room where his mother was waiting, the more she could feel him hanging on for dear life. Melissa had no idea what they were walking into, but if it was something that was scaring Jackson, one of the strongest people she knew, this badly, she had a very good idea that it wasn't going to be pretty.

All of a sudden, Travis came to a halt and held his hand out towards a steel door where a tall, burly cop was standing patiently. "She's in there," he said calmly. "Officer Turner and I will be waiting right here across the hall, so just press on the buzzer right inside the door when you're done, and he'll come and retrieve Ms. Snyder."

Jackson gave a weak nod, and the two men headed into the nearby room. He turned around to face Melissa, and she told him nervously, "I can wait out here for a bit…if you want."

"No!" he insisted, startling her with the sudden strength in his voice. "I mean, please, Mel. I can't do this without you. Please."

"Okay, okay, I'm not going anywhere," she reassured him. Leaning up to give him a calming hug, she whispered in his ear, "I promise."

Jackson nodded against her smooth cheek and sighed. "Well, I guess we should just get this over with. I mean, it could be okay, right?"

"Sure, Jackson, you never know. She might have changed."

She watched carefully as Jackson forced his arm to reach out and open the door. The hinges squeaked as he pushed it all the way open, looking anxiously at the woman who was sitting at the wooden table. Her blond hair hung limp around her face, and her blue eyes were foggy, almost as if it had been ages since she had seen sunlight. When she heard the noise of the door opening, she lifted her head all the way up, but she didn't rise from her chair. She gave a soft smile, and for the first time, Jackson let go of Melissa's hand. Shaking, he headed over to the petite woman and leaned down to try and give her a hug.

"Hi…Mom," he said.

"Cody, my son," she replied, leaning up to return the gesture.

There were two chairs at the table across from where Jackson's mom was sitting, so Melissa went ahead and sat down. Jackson soon joined her, taking hold of her hand once again.

"Who's this?" Heather asked in confusion.

"Uh, Mom, this is my girlfriend, Melissa. Remember how the prison warden told you about how I got in that plane crash?" She nodded in response. "Well, Melissa was one of the girls on that trip with me."

"I see," she said. "Now, Cody, it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too, Mom."

"How are things going for you? Are the people in the foster care system treating you well?"

"Uh, yeah, it's all right."

"Are you finally staying out of trouble?"

"Geez, Mom, what do you mean by _finally_? I'm not that horrible."

"Oh, please, Cody," she laughed. "I'm not saying you're horrible, but you don't exactly have the best track record. Besides, look where you come from and where I ended up. Soon enough, you'll end up just like me. It's just part of our lives, our history."

Jackson rolled his eyes. "That may have been how I _used to be_, but I'm changing, Mom. I go to one of the best schools in Los Angeles. I have good friends, an amazing girlfriend," he took a second to glance over at Melissa, "and I'm not going to end up in prison like you. Don't you want a better life for your son than what you had?"

"Of course, but maybe it's just not in the cards for you. But that's not what I was saying to start with. I was trying to say that it's amazing you've kept yourself out of trouble for this long."

"You don't know how I am, Mom. You haven't seen me in six years."

"And whose fault is that? You're the one that had to run your mouth and tell those people things and get yourself taken away from me!" she shouted.

"How is it my fault that someone saw the bruises and called the cops?"

"I don't care if you weren't the one to call the cops, Cody. Family is supposed to protect each other, and that's actually something I need to talk to you about." She glared over at Melissa. "Is it safe for us to talk in front of her?"

"Absolutely, it is. Anything you can say to me, you can say to Mel."

"Fine, if you say so." She leaned forward with a sneaky grin on her face. "Listen, son, I've found some…let's just say, _friends _here. They're good people, but they need me to take care of something. A friend of mine knows that you're coming here today, so I need you to go back to our old neighborhood and get me some weed and coke." Melissa's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she heard this. "They're on much tighter security than I am, so it's my job to get this done. You're the first visitor I've had in four years, not since Mitch came by to tell me he had knocked up some whore and was leaving to New Mexico with her. So I really need you to take care of this for me, all right son?"

"Are you insane?!" he screeched. "You just gave me some lecture about how it's surprising that I haven't gotten in serious trouble for so long, but now you're asking me to not only go back to our old neighborhood, where I'm **not allowed**, but also to get marijuana and cocaine for you?! You've lost it, woman; you really have."

"Cody, you're my son. This is your job. Didn't I just say that family is supposed to protect each other?"

"That may be so, but I don't owe you a damn thing, and I'm not about to put my ass on the line and risk getting myself thrown in prison just so you can get drugs."

Heather slammed her fists on the table. It was quite obvious she was getting really upset really quickly. "I already told this friend of mine that I would get the stuff for her. You HAVE to take care of this!" she yelled.

"No, I don't!" Jackson yelled right back.

"If you love me, you do! I promised her I'd get it for her, and you're the only person that can do this for me. Do you know how important it is that my relationship with her stays good? This woman could hurt me if I don't get her the drugs."

"I couldn't give a flying rat's ass about your relationship with whatever gang member you've found in here. For the first time in my entire life, Mom, I'm putting myself first. I'm taking care of me."

He could nearly see steam pouring out of her hazy blue eyes at this point. "I didn't want to do this, Cody, but you leave me no choice. Either you take care of this for me, or I will make your life a living hell," she threatened.

"How exactly do you plan on doing that? The last time I checked," he looked around the room sarcastically, "you were in prison, and I'm not!"

"Oh, I have my ways. I still have friends, you know. They can take care of you for me."

"Then, why don't you get them to bring you drugs?"

"Oh, I would, but they all have records, so OBVIOUSLY, they're not allowed to come here unless they're arrested. They'll still do me favors, though. I can guarantee that."

"Whatever you say, Mom. Call whomever you like. I'm not afraid of any threats you give me now. I've grown up. The difference between back then and now is that now, I can take care of myself," he reminded her.

"I love you, Cody. I've always loved you. Stop talking like I don't."

Finally, Jackson jumped up out of his seat. Staring down at her, he growled, "You don't love me, Mom. There's no way you could possibly love me."

Heather got up out of her seat; they were practically eye-to-eye. "What makes you think I don't love you, Cody?" she hissed.

Jackson threw his hands up in the air and screamed, "I know you don't love me, Mom! If you did, you wouldn't have let your boyfriend molest me for THREE YEARS!" He stormed over to the door and punched the buzzer. After sitting still in silence for so long, Melissa finally got up and moved over to join him.

Seconds later, Travis and Officer Turner showed up. "I take it we're done here," Travis said.

Jackson nodded and stormed out into the hall, Melissa right on his tail. He turned towards her and sighed, "I just need some air. I'll be right back." She nodded in acceptance, and he headed towards the exit.

Once he was outside, he began spinning in circles, sobbing in frustration. He hadn't wanted it to go like this. He wanted a mother. He wanted a normal life, like everyone else he knew. Most of all, he wanted things to be different. He had gone into that meeting with the fragile hope that maybe she had changed, that maybe he would finally get the chance to have a relationship with the woman who had given birth to him. But instead, she was much, _much_ worse, and all the horrible pictures of everything he had been through in his childhood came flooding back.

"I have to get away from here," he said to no one in particular. It was all too much. So he did the one thing he knew best.

He took off running.


	6. Author's Note

**I don't really like posting Author's Notes as chapters, but seeing as how it's been almost a full year since I've posted anything, I thought you all deserved an update.**

**I'm sure you all must hate me by now.**

**I never imagined that I would completely stop writing Fanfiction, but 2009 has been a hellacious year for me.**

**From January-August, I've had chronic sinus infections, sinus surgery, physical therapy, been homebound for 7 weeks during my senior year, graduation, and trying to get ready for college. **

**Then, in August, things got even worse. Since August 11****th****, I've had 6 brain surgeries, 5 different hospital stays, a staph infection in my brain, pneumonia, and a collapsed lung. That meant I had to withdraw from my first semester of college. And just this past Wednesday, I fell in the shower, banged my head, shoulder, and elbow, twisted my already sore back, and sprained my left ankle (the good ankle).**

**So I hope that you all will understand why I "disappeared." I haven't had the time nor the energy or strength to write. But just tonight, I went back through and reread everything I've written for this story. I truly hope I can start writing again soon. When I get this next chapter written, I will delete this note and post it. **

**Thank you all for being understanding.**

**Love, Mal**


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